Ranking The Pixar Films From Worst To Best

With Inside Out having been released this past month, I thought it was a great time to release my ranking of every Pixar film ever made! Unfortunately I have been studying abroad and have yet to see Inside Out, so that move is excluded from the rankings! Now I’ll be honest, ranking these films was extremely difficult, since Pixar has a near perfect track record (DAMN YOU CARS 2). But after re-watching all of the films again, it was clear to me which ones stood out above the rest. So without further ado, here are the Pixar films ranked from worst to best! Hope you enjoy!

14. Cars 2 (2011)

UGH. That’s all I can say about Cars 2. I’m serious. There is nothing else that I can say about this movie. Such a disappointment to so many fans of the first Cars movie and to fans of animated movies. For one, Cars didn’t need a sequel…..AT ALL. I would’ve been fine with a The Incredibles or WALL-E sequel, but definitely could have gone without a sequel to a movie about cars. And on top of that that decide to focus the plot on the cars turning into international spys?!?!? UGH. I just like to pretend this movie was never made because without this movie Pixar would have a near perfect group of movies. DAMN YOU CARS 2.

13. Brave (2012)

To be honest, I didn’t even remember this film or anything that happened during it other then the adorable little brother’s of the main character. THEY WERE SO CUTE. And after re-watching it, it was clear I was’t missing out on much. I understand that Pixar wanted to make a historical movie and a movie with a leading heroine, but this Scottish themed action story did not do it for me. It’s not terrible per say, but it certainly doesn’t have many memorable scenes, character’s or jokes; something that Pixar is not known for.

12. Monsters University (2013)

As a HUGE fan of Monster’s Inc. I was thrilled to hear they were making a sequel, but unfortunately was disappointed when hearing about the plot. Unlike another famous Pixar sequel, Toy Story 2, where the sequel directly follows the events of the first film and flows effortlessly without forcing a plot, Monsters University seems to have been thrown together very quickly and with little effort. It’s a funny and cute movie that will make you gleam like the little kid you really are, but unfortunately it just never seems to be in the same league with the other amazing Pixar films. It’s not a terrible movie or sequel, but I’m confident that they could have done so much more with another idea for a Monster’s Inc. sequel.

11. Cars (2006)

I’ll be honest. When I first saw Cars, at about 12, I absolutely loved it. I thought it was 100x better then The Incredibles and Finding Nemo. I thought a movie based solely on talking cars was the coolest thing ever. Watching it again almost 10 years later, Cars is most certainly not the coolest thing ever. While it’s a cute movie, it’s ultimately just a silly kid’s movie that you love as a kid, but loathe as an adult. And the reason behind that is the lack of substance throughout the movie. Unlike other Pixar films like Up and Toy Story that contain genuine and surprising deep substance throughout, Cars has little substance other then Doc’s character. And while it show flashes throughout of having actual heart and emotion, it ultimately falls short compared to other emotionally driven Pixar films.

10. A Bug’s Life (1998)

I think most people forget that A Bug’s Life was even a Pixar film, but it was in fact the 2nd Pixar film released. The reason many people forget is because it was released right after the Pixar’s first film, Toy Story, and we all know that there was no way you could top that. So ultimately A Bug’s Life has become one of the most forgotten and underrated Pixar movies out there. While it may not be the most emotional or the funniest, it certainly is one of the most unique. Making a film centered around bugs is no easy task, and yet again Pixar makes a difficult task look easy. The ultimate problem with this movie is that it just can’t hold it’s own when compared to other Pixar movies. When you ask your friend if they like A Bug’s Life, 9 times out of 10 they will say yes. But when you say what’s one of your favorite Pixar films, 9 times out of 10 they won’t even have A Bug’s Life in the top 5.

9. Ratatouille (2007)

Okay so Ratatouille is a love it or hate it movie. You either watch it and admire the cinematography, the brilliant story and the incredible pacing or you watch it and think its bland, boring and unoriginal. Unfortunately I agree with the latter group of people. I honestly wasn’t a fan of the trailers at first, but none the less I went into the movie theatre with an open mind, but it was no use. My biggest problem with this one, is that while it may be clever, it ultimately isn’t as memorable as the other Pixar films. When I think of Pixar, I think of Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles. I don’t think of Ratatouille. Nothing about the characters stood out to me, and at the end of the day i just wan’t too interested in the storyline.

8. Toy Story 3 (2010)

TOY STORY 3 IS OVERRATED. I’m sorry, but somebody had to say it. And I know you’re thinking that I am absolutely crazy to rank it as low as # 9, and you may be right because all I hear is how EVRY SINGLE PERSON loves this movie the best out of the three Toy Story’s. I might be the only person in the world to rank it this low, but hear me out first. Look I love the story, the character’s and of course the bittersweet ending that had every child, adult and elder in a downpour of tears. And everyone loves this movie because of the whole nostalgia factor. Watching Andy say goodbye to his child-hood toys for the last time as he headed to College brought back the innocent child in all of us. For a lot of us who grew up with Toy Story, this was the end of not only a beloved movie series, but the end of our innocence as well since most of us were headed to college just like Andy. But at the end of the day I must judge each Pixar film as a stand alone film and while the Toy Story saga is one of the best of all time, Toy Story 3 is the weakest movie in the series. It’s story is the most generic out of the three and also has the least amount of quality humor delivered throughout. And trust me it’s incredibly painful to put it so low, but I had no choice with other Pixar movies simply being overall better on the list. Sorry Woody and Buzz!

7. WALL-E (2008)

I know what you’re thinking….first Toy Story 3 and now WALL-E, WHATS WRONG WITH YOU?? Much like Ratatouille, WALL-E is a love it or hate it movie, but most people LOVE WALL-E. It’s original, cute, entertaining and adventurous. And what I love about movies in general is that you can love a lot of movies and appreciate movies for the greatness that they behold, and still not have them in your top 10 list. I love WALL-E, I really do, but at the end of the day, it’s just not one of my favorite movies. I can’t even explain it. It’s just not a movie that I want to constantly watch over and over. But I know enough about movies to appreciate just how special of a movie WALL-E is. It truly is incredibly original and brought new life to animated movies at the time. with it’s incredible storytelling. Also I’m a sucker for romantic movies. EVE + WALL E FOREVER.

6. Up (2009)

I what you’re thinking…..first Toy Story 3, then WALL-E, and now Up, YOU REALLY ARE A MONSTER!!! Look I love Up, I think out of all of the Pixar movies, it captures life the most beautifully. It’s certainly Pixar’s most serious movie and I don’t care who you are, there is NO WAY you weren’t crying your eyes out during the “Marriage Montage” scene. But as beautiful as that scene was, I found myself dazing off and becoming bored as the movie dragged on. I absolutely loved the first half that showcased Carl’s life and basically everything before the house takes off. But I thought the adventure ultimately fell short and the villain was very weak compared to other Pixar villains. But trust me I love Up, I truly do, and being #6 on this list is no easy task, but compared to the next 5 movies, Up ultimately just couldn’t compete.

5. Toy Story 2 (1999)

Yes I think Toy Story 2 is significantly better then Toy Story 3. PLEASE DON’T HATE ME. At the end of the day while Toy Story didn’t pack the emotional punch that Toy Story 3 did, it did have a better story, bigger laughs and dynamic characters. As a stand-alone film, I think Toy Story 2 far out shines Toy Story 3. Toy Story 2 is one of the best sequels ever made and that’s saying a lot. It’s story is incredibly entertaining and the sequel develops the character’s of Woody and Buzz tremendously which is amazing. And while often forgotten, Jessie’s emotional song montage is one of the saddest moments in Disney history. See Cars 2, this is how you make a sequel!

4. Monster’s Inc (2001)

I’m just going to go out there and say that Boo is probably my favorite Pixar character ever. I mean she is just so dang cute and adorable and treats scary and terrifying monsters like their old ladies. I love it. Anyway, Monster’s Inc is incredibly sharp and heartwarming, and much like the Toy Story movies, the character’s are seemingly so realistic even though they are actually monsters. I think Monster’s Inc is often overlooked and is a very underrated Pixar film that was viewed as a purely comedic journey filled with witty one liners that little kids loved to laugh at. But Monster’s Inc contains some of the strongest underlying themes out of all of the Pixar films besides Up of course. At the end of the day though Monster’s Inc is one of my favorites because it never fails to cast a smile on my face no matter how many times I watch it.

3. Finding Nemo (2003)

Who doesn’t love Finding Nemo? It’s funny, smart, creative, sweet and incredibly cute. Yet time after time it is often overlooked as one of the best Pixar films which is a dang shame. Finding Nemo has the most complete and entertaining story out of every Pixar film and is also one of the most engaging film out of all of them. The journey throughout the film to find Nemo is far better then the journey’s in Up and Toy Story 2. People also forget just how much heart Nemo has as well and that opening scene is one of the most heart wrenching scenes in animated history. But most of all, Finding Nemo is just a feel good movie that you can’t help but feel innocent when watching it.

2. The Incredibles (2004)

I’ll be honest, The Incredibles was on top of these rankings for quite a while. But after re-watching each film again, I knew what film had to be #1, but that doesn’t take anything away from The Incredibles which is quite the incredible film. For being a film based around superhero’s, The Incredibles is extremely original and creative and I personally believe that this is the funniest Pixar film out of all of them. Like every other pixar film, The Incredibles has so much heart and innocence oozing throughout the whole film, yet the character’s stand out above the rest for being surprisingly extremely realistic.

1. Toy Story (1995)

Pixar ultimately saved the best for “first.” Toy Story is a true masterpiece that holds up as not only the best Pixar film ever made, but one of the best movies ever made. Period. It’s a movie that epitomizes innocence for every 90’s kid and every adult for that matter. It may not be the most clever or innovative Pixar film, but it has the most heart. It’s hard for me to put into words just how impactful Toy Story was on my childhood, and continues to be on my life today. From the characters to the music to the story to the jokes, Toy Story is a story that captures childhood in such a creative yet simplistic way. Every single person can relate to this film and can sympathize with the characters, which is saying a lot since the character’s are toys.